


sounding heartbeats and intimidations

by zjmkissedliam



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Criminal AU, London, London Underground, M/M, cashier liam, clerk liam, criminal, does this even count as a "crime"?, god i'm so bad at these, probs some horrible u.k inaccuracies but whatever, the Tube, this isnt some mafia fic i swear, uh, ummmm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-08
Updated: 2015-11-08
Packaged: 2018-04-30 13:51:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5166155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zjmkissedliam/pseuds/zjmkissedliam
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>i mean seriously, who the fuck pulls out a gun for a bag of almonds?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> title from "smooth criminal" by micheal jackson

liam drummed his fingers across the counter as he sighed, bored out of his fucking mind. when his aunt had insisted that liam come and spend a summer with her in london, he remembered being absolutely delighted at, well, everything. from the posh way the people carried themselves (their shoes looking three times more expensive than liam's entire outfit) to the architecture (modernist buildings blended with something more beautiful and quaint and archaic in a way that should've clashed but didn't) to the very way the air smelled as he stepped foot into the city's streets (heavy with cigarette smoke, and yet, still so crisp). and so when he needed a job, liam had picked the most _london_ thing he could find: a cashier at a little newstop in a tube station. which had been exciting for 2 days until liam realized that he had no phone signal underground.

things had gone downhill from there.

liam sighed again, obnoxiously loudly this time since there was no one in the tiny shop to hear him, checked the time on his watch, and contemplated actually picking up one of the newspapers behind the counter. he chuckled to himself, imagining his mum's shocked expression at him actually reading something willingly.

pulled out of his reverie by footsteps, he looked up, hoping... and _yes_ , after hesitating, the man outside walked into his tiny shop. not that liam usually got excited over customers (he wasn't _that_ desperate, okay), but this man was... different. from the way he dressed (all black, from the loose shirt that billowed on his shoulders to the slim-fit jeans to the chunky combat boots) to the way he moved- no, glided. no, prowled?

there was just something _different_ in the air because of the way the man carried himself, and liam loved it. and so he patiently waited for the man to make his selection. he seemed to be having trouble, actually, as he scoured every inch of the tiny shop. though liam couldn't see the man's face (it was covered by a snapback tilted low onto his face), he imagined that the man would have his brows furrowed, or perhaps was biting his bottom lip as liam was nibbling on the corner of his now.

after what seemed like hours, the man's fingers softly reached out and delicately plucked a bag of almonds off the wall. that seemed to be all for him, so liam readied himself at the counter to ring up a customer. however, instead of coming towards him, the man took two deliberate steps back till he was in the center of the shop. and then, facing liam, he pulled out an object. it was black, and therefore difficult to make out against the man's clothing, but once he held it in his hands, everything became clear.

" _fuck_ ," liam gasped loudly. well, maybe not loudly. he wouldn't have known, to be honest, since all sound faded away except for his heartbeat thudding in his ears and his own voice. liam's eyes went wide and he put his arms up in the surrender position, trembling, barely breathing. the man seemed satisfied, nodding to himself before he quietly slipped the thing- the _gun_ , back into his pocket. and then he walked out.

liam's heart didn't calm down for the next 20 minutes, and for once, he was grateful for the lack of customers. he practically bolted out the store after his shift ended, locking up hastily before he raced up the stairs in a desperate attempt to breathe fresh air. and as the cold air filled his lungs, he was able to relax a bit, and finally allowed himself to logically think about the situation, as opposed to just panicking. as he walked, he realized 2 things, which led to 2 questions.

1\. the man couldn't have been poor. say what you will about liam's lack of knowledge when it came to fashion, but the man's clothes looked pretty high quality to him. so, if the man wasn't financially hurting... then why? what was the man's motive?

2\. the man had chosen the _almonds_ , of all things. after deliberating over all the candy for so long, he had finally circled back to the nuts before (purposefully?) choosing the cheapest bag of nuts there was. so again, why? why take the extra time to choose the least expensive bag of nuts to steal?

i mean seriously, who the fuck pulls out a gun for a bag of almonds?

"liam? you home, honey?" liam's aunt's voice cut through his thoughts as he opened the door.

"yeah, hi auntie," he said breathlessly. "is dinner ready?" he asked as he walked into the kitchen.

"of course... you okay, li? you look a little pale, love," his aunt said critically. liam forced out what he hoped was a convincing laugh.

"yeah, fine. so um, what's for dinner?" he was interrupted by his uncle and their three little children running in, and things flowed smoothly after that. and well, if liam seemed a bit preoccupied during dinner, no one commented on it, thank god.

 

\---

 

liam felt... like an idiot, actually, as he stood in his bedroom the next day. he had been debating for twenty minutes now whether he needed to pack weaponry for work today. which was _ridiculous_ , honestly. he was going to work at a newstop, not for the police force. and what could he conceal in his clothing, anyways? a knife? too risky; he could cut himself. pepper spray, perhaps? did he have time to go buy some? would liam even be competent enough to use it if the situation arose?

god, he was going to be so late to work today.

huffing in frustration, liam threw a shirt over his head and forced himself downstairs.

"nothing to eat before you dash off, darling?" his aunt questioned as he made his way to the door. liam's stomach turned unpleasantly at the thought. stupid nerves.

"no thanks."

 

\---

 

liam was fidgety all throughout his shift, dropping all the candy he was supposed to restock thrice before he gave up and left it all to the next employee. and if a customer came in with so much as a beanie on, liam knew his voice shook as he tried to make conversation. he was just _nervous_ , is all.

eventually, though, everything settled into a rhythm. things became nice and quaint and boring in liam's little corner of the station, and for once, he was grateful. twiddling his thumbs happily, he decided to restock the candy after all, and glanced at his watch before pulling out the boxes. and froze.

7:13. why did that time seem so familiar? what was supposed to happen at 7:13- oh my god.

liam stayed glued to his spot behind the counter as the man in black languidly strolled in again. no deliberating this time, he made a beeline straight for the almonds and picked out a packet, then reached into his pocket for the gun to twirl around his fingers. liam swallowed heavily as he watched the man, waiting for him to leave. the man looked like he had his eyes trained downwards at the gun between his fingers, though, so liam cleared his throat and tried his best to acknowledge their deal. almonds for his life. great.

"um, yeah. yes, sure, yes. fine."

liam thought he heard the ghost of the man's chuckle as he slipped out of the store.

 

\---

 

liam cautiously stepped into the shop on day three, as if his very footsteps would trigger the man-in-black himself jumping out of the shadows. which, of course, was ridiculous.

but, y'know. they might.

the day sailed as smooth as ever, though, and liam chided himself for being so nervous today. once was terrifying, and twice was, well, even more terrifying. but third would've been stupid. he wouldn't come three times in a row, would he? weren't criminals supposed to be smooth, slick operators who knew how not to get caught? and any normal person would've called the cops on the man by now, he had to know that.

except liam. he had tried though, honestly. he'd picked up the phone _twice_.

but who calls the cops over a packet of almonds?

which is why liam was resolutely _not_ glancing at his watch every few seconds as the day grew late. by the time 7:00 rolled around, liam actually ripped off the watch and stuffed it in his pocket, as if that would slow down time or something.

 _he's not coming he's not coming he's not coming he's not- fuck._ and who but the newfound bane of his existence would step into the shop? liam waited with bated breath as the man pretended to deliberate again, and liam would've rolled his eyes if he could've. _just pick the stupid nuts you prick, we both know you're going to- ah._ waving the gun around as per, the man eventually stalked out, and if liam had had enough air in his lungs, he would have sighed. was this supposed to be an everyday thing now? christ, this job was way too stressful for him. he should've gone for something a bit more simple, like an assistant in a surgery ward. because really, what was brain surgery to (unfortunately intriguing) men with guns?

 

\----

 

as the time neared 7:00 the next day, liam was wary... but not exactly "terrified" any longer. he supposed the novelty had worn off after he had gotten over the three-day hump, and now he was mostly curious. still a bit scared, but also curious.

the seconds ticked by agonizingly slowly as he waited. and then, just like clockwork, the man walked in and picked out his nuts. stuffing the nuts into his pocket, the man took out his gun, loosely held it in liam's direction, and? fucking _moonwalked_ out of the store, facing forwards towards liam the whole time.

liam's breathless giggle could be heard for minutes afterwards. and just when they subsided, liam realized that the man was, in fact, a "smooth criminal", which brought on a fresh bout of laughter and a relieved smile that stayed settled on his lips long after his shift was over.

 

\---

 

surprisingly enough, 7:13 p.m became his favorite time of the day after that. the smooth criminal wasn't going to actually hurt him, liam was sure of it. so, liam's imagination was free to wander as he contemplated over what the man might do the next day. and of course, he never disappointed. the day after the moonwalk incident, the man hadn't even taken out the gun. he had simply walked in, grabbed the almonds, and nodded a "hey" at liam before walking out. so, while his face was still covered by the snapback slung low over his face, at least liam had a _voice_ now. and a low, gorgeous one at that with a rough northern accent.

and okay, fine. if the man wanted to play games, liam could too, right? so at his next shift, liam stared at his watch until the time hit 7:10 exactly, giving him only 3 minutes to do the deed (which was too late for liam to chicken out. he may or may not have calculated this). he then ran up to the almonds, plucked each bag off the shelf and bravely tossed them on his counter. and then chewed his nails in agony for the next 2 minutes.

his stomach tightened as the man walked in, the full enormity of what he had just done settling deep into his stomach. oh my god, what was he thinking, joking around with this man?! _he had a gun for fuck's sake._ the man didn't seem angry, though. more... puzzled? his head cocked to the side as he noticed that the almonds weren't there. and then he turned towards liam, who in turn barely gulped back a very manly scream. the man approached liam's counter with slow, careful steps, like a - and liam felt _so_ stupid for thinking this, but it was the only way to describe it, really - like a predator cornering his prey. as he got closer, liam could see the man's sharp, angular chin and mouth come into focus. his heart thudded as the man's perfect lips curled into a smirk.

"thank you," he said politely as he daintily plucked a bag off the counter.

"aren't- aren't you gonna pay for those?" it was supposed to come out as more of a joke than a terrified squeak, but alas. liam was proud of himself just for speaking, actually.

the man simply chuckled in response before walking out.

"guess not," liam muttered to himself as he swept up the bags to put back on the shelf, his hands shaking.

 

\---

 

so, liam kept the almonds on his counter. if the man wasn't going to hurt him, what was the harm in continuing, right? because, well, let's face it honestly, liam was curious. throughout the course of the next few days, liam saw the man's stubble filling out on his lower chin, since he caught a glance of it every day. and god, what a glorious beard it was. the man had the kind of facial hair that made liam wish he was an artist, just so he could document the progression of something so gorgeous.

although, the day the man's sleeve rode up to expose the intricate tattoos on his hand, liam had decided that the man himself was already a work of art. so. less work for him, he supposed.

the man became a regular at liam's tiny shop much like normal people do at coffeeshops. and slowly, liam started to hate himself less and less for anticipating the man's presence. because, well, call him old-fashioned, but the whole ethics part of it was still a _thing_ for liam. he couldn't help it really, it's how he was raised. stealing was inherently wrong and that was that.

liam just chose to overlook this small detail as he willingly tossed in bits of his own money into the register each night (so his boss wouldn't grow suspicious). simply and plainly put, this was just too much fun. letting someone steal from the store (even if he was paying for it) was one of the most rebellious, reckless things that liam had let himself do this summer, so he wasn't planning on stopping tradition anytime soon.

liam just hoped that the same could be said for the man. call him crazy, maybe, but liam was worried. the man hadn't shown up at all yesterday, much to liam's disappointment, and he (stupidly) hoped everything was okay for the thief. stupidly because he was, of course, _a thief_. but. y'know.

liam's thief. so.

 

\- - -

 

and okay, okay. liam wasn’t freaking out. it had only been like seven minutes, of course liam wasn’t freaking out.

except he was.

seven minutes. that was a whole 420 seconds that the man was later than usual, okay? of course, the man was never _right_ on time. occasionally he was a minute or two off and it was no big deal.

but this was seven- no, eight minutes now and the man still hadn't showed up, _and_ he hadn't even shown up yesterday. had he lost interest in liam? in their little game they played? or had something happened to him? was he sick? hurt? arrested? dead?!

 _fuck_. liam tried taking in deep breaths as his heart started to pound. _he’s not even here yet and you’re already going into cardiac arrest. real smooth,_ _liam, real smooth_. liam pressed his hands to his eyes to clear his thoughts and focused on his breathing again, head snapping up at the sound of footsteps.

oh. it wasn’t the man, but it was _someone_ to keep his mind off of him for a bit, so liam smiled in relief.

“hi mate, looking for something?” liam called out pleasantly as he walked in. oh my god, not just a customer, but a _fit as fuck_ customer. he was lean and dark haired and stubbled and sharply cut and all around fucking _gorgeous_. liam nearly cried as got closer.

the stranger stopped at the rack of nuts and pulled a face before making his way over to the counter.

“i’m looking for the almonds? have you run out or something?” he turned to the pile behind liam’s cash register (liam was trying to be sneaky today, okay) and scrunched his brows in confusion.

“oh. are they not for sale?”

“what, no- i mean yes. yes they’re for sale, yeah. want a packet?” he babbled out nervously. ugh. curse whatever entity had decided that liam would forever be flustered around attractive men. fuck.

the customer grinned, amused.

“just one would be cool, yeah. any particular reason they’re behind the register today?”

“i usually keep them back here for uh, someone else. don’t think he’s coming today though, so I’ll probably have to put them back,” liam said dejectedly. the customer hummed in sympathy.

“guess you’ll just have to make do with me, then.”

“guess so,” liam chuckled miserably as he rang up the purchase. “that’ll be €2.50, cash or credit?” the customer answered by throwing a large amount of change onto the counter, along with a few bills. the clashing and clanging of the coins startled liam, and he looked up at the customer, brows knit in confusion.

“have to pay for all of them now, don’t i?” the stranger smirked.

liam squinted his eyes in confusion as he took in the tiny, gorgeous man who had slipped into his store like a wisp of smoke, and suddenly it all fell into place. liam eyes widened and gasped out loud so suddenly that he actually stumbled a step back with it. the stranger’s smirk turned into a full-on grin, and then he was laughing.

"i'm sorry," the man laughed happily. "god, it was just supposed to be a one-time thing on a dare, honest, but you were so fucking _cute_ with those wide eyes, and, well..." zayn shrugged unapologetically, still smiling.

liam gaped, still unable to say anything, and the man's brow furrowed, worried.

"i didn't scare you too bad, did i? shit, sorry leeyum, it was all a joke, i swear. the gun wasn't even real, honest. look!" he pulled the trigger at the wall and liam watched in a daze as a harmless squirt of water shot out. liam shook his head vehemently in response, hoping to convey that _scared_ was not at all what he was feeling, if his half-hard dick was anything to go by. unless he had a secret fear kink he didn't know anything about. which, well, that was a problem for another day.

"i just didn't expect you to be so fucking fit, is all," liam blurted out. he immediately clapped a hand over his mouth, horrified, but the man laughed again in delight.

"i like you," he grinned easily. "now that you know who i am, maybe we can chill outside this dump sometime?" his expression turned soft and hopeful and liam just about combusted.

"yeah, what, _yes_. definitely." he paused. "what's your name, by the way?"

"zayn," he answered simply, resting an elbow against the counter and leaning in till he invaded liam's space. spicy cologne and cigarette smoke assaulted his brain and he couldn't _think_.

"zayn," liam repeated stupidly. he blinked at zayn for a couple seconds and thought of what to ask him since he desperately wanted this conversation to continue. luckily, his brain thought up the perfect question.

“go out with me,” liam blurted out. fuck. what?

zayn cocked his head to the side, an amused smile painted onto his face. “do you always ask out boys who hold guns to your chest?”

“only the cute ones,” liam grinned back as best he could. god, his palms were sweating like it was the first day he’d walked in all over again.

“liam… you do know that this’ll still be part of my routine, right? grabbing the almonds? you don’t have to ask me out just because you want to see me.”

“i know! well, okay, not the routine part, but like, i know what you mean. and i don’t just want to see you, i want to get to _know_ you, y'know? if- if that's okay with you?" liam tacked on nervously. zayn's expression turned unreadable and liam held his breath.

"oh my _god_ , fuck it," zayn breathed as he reached over the counter and grabbed a fistful of liam's shirt, bringing him in. soft, chapped lips landed on his for a quick kiss, and as zayn pulled back, his eyes sparkled.

"how's that for a yes?" he said breathlessly. liam's answering grin lit up the room.

_el fin!_


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> in case any of you were wondering "why almonds?", i've sort of tied up that loose end for you guys !

 "you almost ready to go, babe?" zayn's voice called out as he got closer to the shop. liam managed to scramble his expression from dazed, lovesick puppy back to normal just as zayn walked in (because "babe"? honestly? _god_ , liam was such a sap), and managed a casual smile and glance in his direction.

"yeah, just about! give me a minute?"

"course." zayn rang himself up a packet of almonds as he waited for liam to close shop, since nothing quite calmed him down the way almonds did. it literally didn't matter how many times zayn took liam out, he was always so _nervous_ in the beginning. so, almonds. he leaned against the counter and crunched on them idly for a few minutes as liam finished.

"okay, so that's done..." liam mumbled to himself as he spun around the tiny shop, narrowly avoiding bumping into zayn during his quick check.

"finished! let's go." liam shyly bumped his hand against zayn's as they walked out, and zayn easily entwined their fingers in response.

"guess you'll have to feed me these, now," zayn pouted as he held up the packet. liam giggled and tossed a nut into zayn's mouth.

"why the hell do you like these so much anyways?"

zayn paused for a bit before he responded, which liam really loved about him. zayn always took his time to carefully consider liam's words before giving a response, and it made liam feel important and all warm inside. and stuff.

"well, okay, so like, pakistani parents have this _thing_ with almonds. apparently they're supposed to make your memory a lot better or something, so yeah. my dad used to stuff a handful of them down my throat every morning before school. and so when i miss my family, nothing quite reminds me of them the way almonds do, y'know? they taste like home," zayn finished off as he popped another into his mouth. liam blinked a couple times, mulling that over before he leaned over and kissed zayn. and as he tasted the almond flavor in zayn's mouth, he smiled.

"i guess almonds taste like home for me now, too." and this time it was zayn who blushed, eyelashes fluttering and all.

**Author's Note:**

> OKAY WOW so this is a Thing that happened when i visited london over the summer for like 6 days lol
> 
> but yeah, i'd like to thank sasha for being an absolute DEAR in editing this. she was so nice and so sweet and had a solution for everything and sjskfskg wow amazing 
> 
> comments please!


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